Minnesota environmental groups, custodial workers release climate change study

(FOX 9) - Environmental activist groups and the union of custodial workers who clean major Twin Cities office buildings released a study Monday criticizing Minnesota corporations for policies they say block solutions to climate change and environmental racism.

The study is titled "Sky High Pollution: How Minnesota corporations pollute out planet and politics, and how community collaboration can help the state reach its 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction goals." 

Monday morning, the groups gathered on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis to elaborate on the study. The participants included SEIU Local 26; MN350; Sierra Club Northstar Chapter; Black Indigenous and People of Color Environmental Justice Table; Minnesota Youth Climate Strike.

In the study, environmentalists criticize companies for "greenwashing," in which companies claim to support the environment, but don't follow through on the practices. According to the study, Minnesota is falling behind on its plan to reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050.

The group proposes that the Twin Cities adopt "green practices," in which employees ditch toxic chemicals and use less energy.

Additionally, the study claims that low-income communities and communities of color are living with “dirty air, worse health outcomes, and high energy bills,” due to their proximity to Hennepin County trash incinerators in North Minneapolis.

“The major corporations in Minnesota have consistently said they are in favor of protecting the environment and taking climate action, yet these same corporations sit on the board of the Chamber of Commerce, which has just as consistently opposed clean energy and clean transportation legislation,” said Ulla Nilsen, Engagement Director for Minnesota 350.